Safety chains for adding security in attaching trailers to vehicles have been in use for many years and are required by law. The purpose of a safety chain is to prevent a trailer that breaks away from its hitch from completely separating from the vehicle to which it is attached and careening under its own power.
Over the years, many safety chain configurations have been offered. In general, the offerings have consisted of a linked chain permanently affixed at one end to a trailer and a second free end having a hook-up means for affixing to a vehicle in some fashion.
A general shortcoming of the prior art is that does not allow for multiple adjustment points. This causes situations in which the safety chain may hang low to the ground and scrape or prohibit the hook-up of certain trailers to certain tow vehicles. Oftentimes, therefore, users will take to devising sometimes elaborate hookup means such as twisting the safety chain around the trailer arm or crisscross the safety chain. These hookup variations are dangerous in that equipment used in an unintended way which can weaken the holding strength of the safety chain unit.
Another shortcoming is that the free end of the safety chain may fit only a certain style of safety hook-up, such as a special hook, e.g., an s-hook or a looking link.
The problem is particularly in moving heavy equipment where the need for a strong connection between the vehicle and the trailer is required and speed/flexibility is of utmost importance.
There is end, therefore for an adjustable safety chain assembly that offers multiple adjustment points, is useful in many hook-up environments, and is easy and fast to use. Such an assembly is provided for in the present invention.